Glare eliminator



a ena-d an, 20,1939;

UNITED STATES tion of Michigan Application October 18, 1937, Serial No. 169,613;

.5 Claims.

This invention relates to glare eliminators, particularly with reference to display cases of the refrigerated type in which a front display window or section is provided, usually with several panes of glass located one behind the other and sealed in the case for eifectively insulating the case against heat entrance and refrigeration losses, and in which, from an upper point directly in front of the upper part of the case lights are 'ovided, the rays of which are directed downwardly through the glass into the case to display the contents which are located back of the glass.

The light or lights which are used are covered with a housing above and front of the lights 0 extend in all directions radially from the source of light and downwardly and to the rear through the glass, but some of the rays of light are reflected from the glass platesand are projected-- forwardly and upwardly into the eyes of the observer, thereby interfering with vision and producing an undesired glare which it is a purpose of the present invention to remove and eliminate.

With my invention in the particular zone or zones where the light reflection takes place so that the reflected rays of light reach the eye of the observer, there are located preferably be tween the several panes of glass which have been noted. opaque vanes extending the length of the glass and between adjacent panes of glass and which are located substantially in radial planes coincident with the rays of light which would be directed through the glass at the places where such vanes are located. There is thus provided a minimum of interference with the direct passage of the rays of light from the source of light into the show case. and at the same time reflected 1101 as over the light source, but without in any al way interfering with, the vision of the observer who is enabled to readily see the merchandise. such as meat or the like, which is displcyed in the refrigerated show case.

Also with my invention, at the lower outer edge housing W11 covers the electric lights,

C: Liu an upwardly and i ardly inclined plate is provided which has thredect of interposing'betwcen" the housing ghicb covc s-the lights and the glass BeTE-N 'rlmmce 62,791 i I Clifford B. Shreve, Niles, Mich, assignor to Tyler" Fixture Corporation, Niles, Mich, a. corpota and prevents reflection of light from the inner side of said covering housing to the glass and a consequent reflection and production of the image of. the housing to the observer.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description, taken in CDl'lIlECa tion with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section through a refrigerated show case of the type to which my invention may be applied, and

Fig. 2 is-a. fragmentary enlarged vertical section cfthe upper front portion ofthe case and the lighting fixtures applied thereto.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts in the several figures of the drawing.

The show case I is of conventional form and construction and in the type shown illustrates a show case such as used in meat markets for the holding, displaying, and dispensing of meats. Such cases at their front sides are provided with a downwardly and forwardly inclined transparent panel including an outer frame. 2 and a plurality of spaced apart glass plates 3 which are properly sealed in the frame 2 to prevent, as much as possible, loss of refrigeration.

In cases of this kind the lighting is by means of suitable light bulbs 4 which are located at the upper part and slightly in front of the case and above and in front of the upper edge portions of the glass plates 3. as best shown in Fig. 2. These light bulbs are housed in a housing 5 which extends over and downwardly a distance in front of the location of the light bulbs, and is provided with an upwardly and inwardly inclined plate 6 preferably connected as shown by providing a U-shaped clip 7 at its lower edge to engage with an upwardly and inwardly turned lip 8' at the lower end portion of the housing 5.

With my invention anes 9 are disposed between the plates 3 in the space provided between said plates and are located substantially radially with respect to the center longitudinal line of the light bulbs 4. These vanes are relatively nar-' row in comparison to their length, their width being governed by the available distance between the plates 3. The vane 9 between the innermost plates 3 is located in a plane lower than that,

ctwcen the outermost plates as shown, and the upper edge of the front and upper vane is ape, proximately in the same horizcntahplane as the lower front ond outer edge of the housing 5.

With this construction rays of light such as-inicated at if! emanating from the bulbs 4 'pass,

downwardly and also downwardly and to the rear into the ease and light up the merchandisezlifi substantially at or somewhat below the lower edge of the front display structure described. Glass,

. e P ojected forwardly from thecuter surfaces of said glass plates in accordance with the law of 1 reflection that the angle of reflection is equal eSe of the observer.

I to the angle of incidence. With the eye of the.

,observerlocated at a point such as indicated at H in Fig.1, without the vanes 9 and with the lower front edge of the housing 5 at its lowest practical position, some rays of light would be reflected along or below the line l2 from the eye of the observer to the lower edge of the housing 5. But with the vanes 9 located as shown and described, such rays of light are reflected against the backs of the vanes 9, and such vanes being opaque, the light does not pass therethrough. The front sides of the vanes at least are of a black or dark color. It is of course to be understood that the point ll, indicating the eye of the ob server, is variable and may be at many different positions in front of the case I and of course will vary in its height above the front in accordance with the height of the person who is looking into the case. But with the simple and practical invention which I have produced, the

vanes 53 serve to intercept the undesired forwardly.

reflected rays of light which otherwise would reach the eye of the observer, and at the sametime there is no interference with the vi on as to the merchandise within the case and which the observer is to see.

If the plate 6 was not "used and attached as shown and described, rays of light from the lights at i striking the. inner surface of the housing 5 would he reflected back to the glass and from there in turn to the observers eye. All rays 0 light however, which are directedfrom the lig t against the inner side of the housing 5 are blocked by the plate 5 so that the image of the underside of the light hood in the glass is obstructed by the plate 8 and does not come to the position shown, any light rays passing its upper edge to the housing or covering 5 oi the lights,- shadows the underside and prevents undesirable reflection of such covering housing.

While the invention has been descibed in conjunction with refrigerating show cases, it is to be understood that it is in no way limited to one place of use, bu is generally applicable to the lighting of various types and kinds of show cases. show windows and numerous other places which arelighted for the display of merchandise contained by them. The invention is of a very ractical and useful nature and is defined in the appended claims, and is to be considered co iprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim: 1

1. In a display case having a downwardly and forwardly inclined front wall, said wall comprising, a plurality of spaced apart glass plates, and said case having light producing means at the outer side and at the upper end of said in clined wall, with a housing over said ligl ans, the combination of opaque vanes mounted "b stantially vertically between the spaced apart plates of said wall in a position to intercept rays 1 of light reflected by said glass plates in a forward direction against said plat-es.

which may be canied'inthat part of the case being located approximately vertical and the lowmately the same horizontal plane with the up a a plurality of spaced apart glass plates, and

The plate 6 located in the of and spaced therebetween and disposed with reference to the lower outer edge of the housing outwardly and upwardly at an angle to the hori- 2. In a show case hating a transparent down wardly and forwardly inclined front wall wherein said fwall'coinprlses, a plurality of spaced apartglass plates-located one back of the other, and said case having light producing means located at the front and adjacent the upper edges of said glass plates, and having a housing extending over 5 said light producing means and downwardly in front thereof for a distance below the same, the combination of light intercepting vanes interposedlengthwise between said'plates, said vanes or edge of the frontmos't vane lying in approxiper edge of the vane next back thereof, and with the upper edge of the frontmost vane lying in approximately the same horizontal plane as the lower front edge of said housing, as and for the purposes specified.

housing extendingover the light producing means and downwardly in front thereof and below the same, the combination of light intercepting means associated with said glass plates and disposed so that the upper edge of the frontrnost of light intercepting means occupies substanthe same horizontal plane as the lower at edge of said housing, and with the lower edge of said light intercepting means extending downwardly sufficiently far that said light intercepting means intercepts reflected rays of light from the glass plates which normally would extend forwardly and upwardly at an angle to the horizontal below the lower edge of said housing.

In a show case having a front downwardly and forwardly inclined transparent wall comprishaving a light producing means located in front and lengthwise of and adjacent the upper edges of said front wall of the case, and having ahousing over said light producing means mounted on the case. and extending over and downwarfly below the light producing means, the combination of a vane interposed between adjacent glass plates and extending lengthwise of the space therebeiween, said vane being. of opaque material and located substantially in a plane-coincident with light rays emanating from said light producing means directly to the upper edge of rid plate.

5. In a display show case having a downwardly and forwardly inclined transparent front'wall. said well comprising, a plurality of glass plates spaced from each other and lying one back of the other, and with light producing means carried by said case in front of and adjacent the upper edges of said glass plates, said light producing r'neans being covered by a housing extending over the same and downwardly in front thereof, the combination of substanti" yvertical opaque light intercep g devices associated with and lying be tween said glass plates and extending lengthwise to intercept rays of light which normally would be reflected from the surfaces of the glass plate' '7 zontal immediately below the outer lower edge riion of said housing.

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